


Little Moments

by dazzling_icer (centz)



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2012-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-29 06:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/316715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centz/pseuds/dazzling_icer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Noah reflects on small moments in his and Luke's relationship.</p><p>Inspired by the song "Little Moments" by Brad Paisley</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Moments

I couldn’t even remember what exactly it was that Luke backed into with my truck, but I sure do remember his reaction.

Luke has been bugging me to let him drive my truck ever since I could remember. I don’t know if it was my manly pride, or just because I loved to tease him just to see the pout on that pretty mouth, but I never relented.

Until today.

There was something different about the way his eyes pleaded, his mouth parted slightly in anticipation while he stood in front of me and begged me to let him drive. His eyes were wide and shiny and soft, and hell if I could ever say no to that. The thousand-watt smile that followed was almost entirely worth saying yes.

He climbed into the driver’s side of the cab like a child on Christmas morning, practically hopping into the seat. I slid in next to him, enjoying the look of delight on my boyfriend’s face. He started up the car just as my phone beeped for a text message. I tore my eyes away from Luke and checked my phone. Jeff sent a text with changes to the Java schedule for that week, and I was just about to respond when a sudden jolt caused the truck to lurch forward and for me to drop my cell.

“Fuck!”

My danger alarm went off, and I instinctively went into protective mode. I whipped my head over at Luke, ready to inspect the damages and fight off whatever it was that caused my boyfriend to scream out. But when my gaze finally settled on Luke, I quickly stopped.

Luke’s hands were covering his mouth, and he was looking at me with wide eyes. His face was fully flushed, and his shoulders were heaving up and down in rapid succession.

“Luke, what happened?”

Luke just shook his head, keeping his hands over his mouth, and his now-watery eyes now looked at me with a mixture of shock, terror, and guilt.

“Luke…”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it Noah!” Luke suddenly wailed out, his words coming out in a quick panic. “I should have looked out of the rearview mirror but I was just so excited that you let me drive your truck for once, and I wasn’t paying attention and I just started backing out of the spot! I’m so sorry, Noah! I promise that whatever damage there is that I will take care of it right away! Please don’t be mad at me Noah, I’m so so so sorry! I really never meant to…”

Luke’s continued rambling faded as I looked at him. His face was now even redder than before, and his eyes were shining from the tears that looked like were going to fall at any moment. I really couldn’t even be mad at him…he looked so adorable.

Before I could stop myself, I started to smile.

He must have caught it because he immediately dropped his 48577th apology and started in on me.

“And now you’re _laughing_ at me? Noah, this isn’t fun…”

I never let him finish as I quickly un-buckled my seat belt and slid over to Luke, my mouth silencing his. He gasped a little in surprise, but then relented as he sighed into my mouth. I brought my hands up to his face, my thumbs wiping away the small amount of wetness that fell from Luke’s eyes as I continued to kiss him thoroughly.

I pulled away after a few moments, a smile still on my face.

“It’s okay, Luke…you’re forgiven.”

“So…you aren’t mad?” he looked at me shyly with those big eyes again, and even if I was mad at that moment, I wouldn’t have been anymore.

“No, I’m not mad,” I whispered, as I brought my lips to his for a sweet kiss. “But now I’m driving.”

He didn’t even fight me, just un-buckled his seat belt and jumped willingly out of the door as I scooted over into his place in front of the wheel. He climbed back into the passenger side, settling in to his usual seat with a relieved smile on his beautiful face. I smiled at him, started up the ignition, took his hand, and began to back out of the driveway.

And I made sure to look in the mirror.

+++++

The incident with the truck stayed in my mind for days afterward, and it was quickly becoming one of my favorite memories with Luke. It seemed weird to me that something so small could take up a big part of my brain, but I couldn’t help it. I just kept seeing his wide-eyed panicked face with his red cheeks over and over in my mind, and I would smile every time. I wish I had a camera to capture that moment forever.

But it got me thinking…how little moments like that one were like gold. Small, insignificant moments that I shared with Luke that didn’t really seem all that important at the time, but would come back and take over my mind and fill me with so much joy.

Like the time last year on my birthday, where I came home from school to the smell of burning coming from the kitchen and every smoke detector in our apartment going off. I dropped my bags and ran into the kitchen to find Luke desperately swatting at the smoke with an oven mitt, trying to get it to clear out. Upon quick inspection of the counter and oven, it seemed that Luke was trying to bake me a cake, but he must have lost track of time and let it burn.

When Luke noticed me in the room, he stopped trying to get rid of the smoke and just stood there, looking like he was about to cry. I didn’t say anything, I just sighed and then took him in my arms. He flung his arms over my shoulders and clung on to me, and I could practically feel his unnecessary apology seeping into my skin. I began to rub his back lightly, trying to get him to calm down and tell him everything was okay. Over his shoulder, I could see what was left of the cake sitting out on top of the stove. It was practically charred, all black and hard with small amounts of smoke still rising from it.

Laughter was quickly bubbling up inside me, threatening to let out. But I tried as hard as I could to keep it in, for Luke’s sake.

That’s my boyfriend…a complete wreck in the kitchen. Still, I love him for trying.

And there was also that time that Luke and I planned a weekend trip to Michigan to Silver Lake to swim and see the sand dunes. Luke read the directions wrong and we ended up going almost one hundred miles out of our way. I was getting really frustrated and annoyed that we were off our schedule (because naturally, I had everything perfectly planned out), but then Luke shyly reached over and grabbed my hand. And suddenly being lost wasn't so terrible anymore.

Because sitting there with Luke's hand in mine, I wasn't really lost at all.

I must have gotten lost in memories of that weekend because the next thing I knew, the door to our apartment was opening, and Luke was barreling through the door, announcing his presence like always.

"Hey! You're home!" I got up from my seat on the couch and met him at the door, helping him to take off his coat and then hanging it up on the coat rack.

"Yeah, thank God," Luke sighed, kicking off his shoes. "Every single meeting at the Foundation took forever today. I was this close to defenestrating myself from the conference room."

I laughed and then promptly spun him around. I cradled his face in my hands, and gave him a kiss in greeting. He sighed, and then melted into me, his arms slinking around my waist, pressing us together tighter. I pulled back and rested my chin on the top of his head, enveloping him in a hug. He placed his head against my chest and sighed, and we started to slowly rock back and forth in place.

This was another one of those moments...those little, insignificant events that happen every day that remind me of how much I love him. I love coming home to him - or him coming home to me - every day. I love greeting each other at the door and talking about our days and just being ourselves and sharing this life together. I love cooking together in the kitchen (even if he's there just to watch), and divvying up chores and brushing our teeth together in the bathroom at night as he smirks at me in the mirror through a mouth of foamy paste.

But the moment didn't last very long (as little moments never do), and soon he was pulling out of my arms and walking off to our bedroom, most likely to change out of his work clothes. I didn't even pretend to not watch him all of the way.

+++++

Later that night, we sat cuddled together on the sofa, watching a movie. Luke actually let me pick the movie without much protest, so I settled for something light and fun that Luke would actually enjoy, _Young Frankenstein_.

But halfway through the movie, Luke fell asleep anyway.

My arm was stretched along the back of the couch, and Luke was resting his head right on my upper arm as he was pressed into my side. I definitely wasn't complaining, as touching Luke is definitely one of my favorite activities.

But as the movie wore on, my fingers started to tingle.

The position and Luke's head resting on my arm was causing it to go numb. The tingling was now crawling up toward my elbow, and it was starting to get more than a little uncomfortable.

I was just about to adjust my arm when Luke sighed and pressed into me harder, as if his unconscious self was trying to get even closer to me. For some reason, that made me smile. Luke just stole my heart for the billionth time, and he isn't even aware of it.

I looked down at him for a long time, memorizing the way that his lips parted slightly as he breathed through his mouth as he slept, or the way his light blond hair fell in a pattern over his long eyelashes. He looked so peaceful, so angelic, and the thought of disturbing _that_ had to be a crime somewhere.

So I didn't move. I decided that suffering through the numbness in my arm was worth more than waking Luke up. A lot more.

As I sat there watching Luke sleep, I realized that this was another one of those moments. A moment that seemed so small in comparison to other things, but meant the entire world to me. Watching Luke sleep, watching my lover as he is at his most vulnerable is something that only I am privileged with. And going through the every day with him at my side, sharing our good times and bad, our exciting and mundane, our big and our small...it's something I've always wanted.

And it's something that Luke gives me every day. And I know that he's far from being perfect, but for whatever reason, he tries so hard to be perfect for me. But I'm so glad that's he isn't. Because it's his imperfections that make him imperfectly perfect for me.

And every little imperfection, or every sudden change of plans makes me realize even more how much I love him, and how much I want him in my life. Every day, for the rest of my life.

 _He's_ what I live for.

 

END


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